ASK THE EXPERT: How Can I Keep People From Getting Drunk At The Rehearsal Dinner?
Q: There is a particular group of our friends—some of whom are in the bridal party—who I fear will get drunk at our rehearsal dinner and then end up either hung over the next day or late for wedding stuff, or both. I know everyone is an adult here, but if I wanted to somehow control the alcohol flow at the rehearsal dinner, what’s the best way to do that?
A: We would hope that members of your wedding party would keep from going all out the night before your wedding, but if you have reason to believe that people vital to your Big Day might end up over served the night before and therefore off their game during the festivities, you can do whatever you’re most comfortable with in order to try and control the situation.
One option is to limit the alcohol at your rehearsal dinner to just red and white wine and skip hard liquor altogether, says Angela Malicki of Philly’s Angela Malicki Events. “And you can always tell your bartender to keep an eye out and cut people off that have clearly had too much.”
But whether you decide to design your bar to keep things in check or not, Malicki suggests simply communicating your feelings to them. “Take them aside and let them know that you are really excited for them to be a part of your special day,” she says, “but that you would like them to actually be there.”
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